NASA and officials from a commercial rocket company are searching for debris and answers following the explosion of a rocket and cargo module Tuesday that were to deliver supplies to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The cargo ship that exploded Tuesday evening was carrying 5,000 pounds of experiments and equipment for NASA, as well as prepackaged meals and freeze-dried Maryland crabcakes for a Baltimore-born astronaut who's been in orbit five months.

Hours after the launch ended in flames, a Russian supply ship arrived at the station with a load of fresh supplies. The Russian supply ship launched early Wednesday from Kazakhstan and arrived at the orbiting lab six hours later with 3 tons of food, fuel and other items.

Every launch costs U.S. taxpayers $237 million. It is not clear if taxpayers will also pay for Tuesday's failed launch or if Orbital Sciences Corps. will buy a new Russian-Ukranian rocket.

"We do want to express our disappointment that we were not able to fulfill our obligation to the ISS program and deliver this load of cargo; Especially to the researchers who had science on board and people who were counting on the various hardware and components going to the station," said Frank Culbertson, the executive vice president for Orbital Sciences.

NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini said astronauts at the station currently have enough supplies to last until spring.